The Dreaded Department: Not Juniors, Not Misses, but the “Big” W

I never think to go to the Women’s Department to shop, even though I should.

When I became too curvaceous for the Junior’s Department (at 12 years old, thank you German descent), I could at least hit up the Misses Department through most of my 20’s; you know, the years when I could diet and exercise with determination, drive, and limited distractions. After having a child and beginning a PhD program, I am far from a junior or miss, but rather a confirmed Woman.

I would be more comfortable in women’s clothing. I have breasts and hips and thighs and basically every curve that a normal woman gets in her child-bearing years. Trying to fit into youth clothing is, at this point, a self-inflicted nightmare. So why try?

In her book, So Long, Insecurity: You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us, Beth Moore tells us about her own epiphany about age-envy and appreciating where we are in life, writing, “it occurred to me that not one woman out there would be young a second longer than I was. Generally speaking, we all get the same amount of time. I’d had my turn. They would have their turn. And all of us, God willing, will get the chance to age” (96).

I am now choosing to embrace the curves and clothes that come with this stage of life. I am no longer 22, nor do I have the energy to try to look it. As Moore would say, I’ve had my turn, and getting the chance to experience a new chapter in life is a blessing, not a curse. So the next time I shop, you can find me in the Women’s Department, showing no tears, wringing of hands, or other signs of self-loathing–just appreciation for what is rather than what has been.

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Works Cited:

Moore, Beth (2010-01-20). So Long, Insecurity: You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us (p. 96). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition.